Oka manchi story | Life is meant for comforts and simplify hardships

[Midnightsun]

Rahul was born in a middle class family. His parents had gone through all the struggles and made sure he and his sister didn’t. They taught him good values, like hard work and sincerity.

He did fairly well in school. Seldom missed a class and completed his homework on time. He went to a coaching and prepared 2 years during high school, and appeared for all entrance examinations.

He got admission in one of the engineering colleges with hostel. He attended lectures regularly during first year. Got distracted a bit as semesters went by. His parents called him everyday, and reminded him importance of studies and career. Completed his degree somehow amidst strict attendance rules, new professors, friends, campus life, and an outrageous trip or two.

He was then placed in an MNC as a software engineer, that paid decently. Worked day in, day out under a strict boss. He made sure to clock in 9 hours daily, and worked overtime to meet deadlines. He tried hard to save money, sent some home on first day of the month. His life revolved around waking up early, taking bath, office, lunch, coffee, code, sleeping late at night. Same cycle repeated everyday, except a team trip or colleague's birthday party sometimes. He grew some belly fat too, without realising.

He wrote code everyday he barely enjoyed. Solved bugs. More bugs. More coffee. The dustbin in his cubicle had 6–7 empty cups at the end of day. For three years, everyday.

His parents searched a girl for him, an ideal match - she worked in IT company too, and had similar routine. They got married. Had a kid.

On the kid’s 6th birthday one summer, Rahul bought him books of the next class, wrote a note about good values and importance of studies. On his way to home though, he had a weird thought. He got down at a random bus stop. Went back and returned the study books he just bought. Bought some toys, video games and fun magazines.

He tore the old note and wrote a new one that said, “Be crazy, not serious. Because son, I want you to have experiences that I never had.”